Recognition issue restricts N. Cyprus's ability to fight terrorism

Turkish Daily News


The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) groups has a presence on both sides of Cyprus, the United States said in its 2007 report on terrorism, daily Cyprus Mail reported Friday. "However its activities generally were limited to fundraising and transit en route to third countries; authorities believed there was little risk the group would conduct operations there,” it said.The report emphasized that issues of status and recognition inevitably restrict the ability of Turkish Cypriot authorities to cooperate on counterterrorism. “Turkish Cypriots cannot sign treaties, U.N. conventions, or other international agreements, for example. Moreover, the Turkish Cypriot-administered area lacked the legal and institutional framework necessary to meet minimum standards on combating money laundering and terrorist financing effectively,” it said. Although the Turkish Cypriot community's financial sector was vulnerable to abuse by criminals and terrorists but that within the limitations, Turkish Cypriots cooperated in pursuing specific counterterrorism objectives, according to the report.

As for the South, the report said legal framework for investigating and prosecuting terrorist-related activity remained relatively weak. It also said the large volume of container traffic moving through Greek Cypriot ports in the government-controlled area made Cyprus “an attractive and convenient venue for terrorist organizations seeking transshipment points for weapons and other items of concern.”

“While Cypriot agencies responsible for non-proliferation assess only a small risk of illicit materials moving through transit cargo, the United States continued to push for increased maritime cooperation,” said the report.

Three years ago, Greek Cyprus was the first EU member state to sign a ship boarding agreement with Washington, which provides the United States with the authority to board sea vessels suspected of carrying illicit shipments of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, or related materials.

In addition, during 2007 the U.S. embassy in Cyprus organized and executed training programs to assist Cyprus to create a stronger export control regime and to pursue more proactive non-proliferation enforcement.

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